Coming to a Zoom meeting near you: Sex, toilets and text!
Sounds like something’s wrong with Zoom, doesn’t it?
More than half of employees find it difficult to pay attention during video meetings, according to research from Jugo. So instead of trying to focus, some employees disengage, look for distractions and get fully engaged in non-work matters.
What’s Really Wrong with Zoom
What they do runs the gamut from what we expected to “NO WAY!” Jugo researchers found:
- 68% have texted friends
- 38% have gone to the bathroom
- 29% have taken a walk
- 25% have worked out
- 22% have slept, and
- 13% have had sex.
While most of those things are done without others knowing (thankfully!), some on-screen behaviors drive others on the call crazy.
The worst offenses, according to the research:
- keeping the phone unmuted so everyone hears the background noise
- eating and/or drinking on the call
- picking noses while on camera, and
- scrolling the phone.
Video Call Etiquette Fails
Fortunately, there’s some good video call news: 85% of employees are almost always on time. And 68% say they never or rarely interrupt others on Zoom.
“Companies were thrust into remote work and video conferencing without any real guidance or protocols. People shifted and moved based upon the correction of mishaps and embarrassing incidents,” says corporate and social etiquette expert Elaine Swann. “Now that we are on the other side of the pandemic, it’s clear that video conferencing will remain a key part of the work environment. Businesses need to implement a clear set of standards and guidelines.”
You see, etiquette matters. More than 80% of leaders in a Jefferson Frank survey agree that business etiquette is still important to success.
To that, here are five tips to share with your teams for better video call etiquette:
1. Turn on Cameras
We can put an end to almost all the bad behavior if everyone turned on their cameras during Zoom meetings. No one can hide the unmentionables with a camera on.
More importantly, when the camera is on, people are held to higher professional standards and personal accountability.
Meeting organizers will want to set the standard in advance, explaining that all cameras will need to be on to start meetings.
2. Check Your Surroundings
With cameras on, it’s important to be sure what’s seen and heard around you are professionally appropriate. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve worked with colleagues or how friendly you are. Many video meetings get recorded and can go down in history (for the wrong reasons).
If you aren’t in an ideal setting, blur the background or use a standard background setting that comes with your virtual call application.
Same goes for sound. When you aren’t speaking, put yourself on mute so no unexpected or inappropriate noise makes its way onto the call.
3. Mind the Table Manners
Ideally, we wouldn’t eat or drink during video calls. But, we often eat and drink during in-person meetings, so it will almost always happen on Zoom, too.
Keep eating and drinking manners in check.
- Don’t speak with food or drink in your mouth
- Avoid using noisy plastic bottles, and
- Avoid chewing anything while on camera, even if muted.
4. Mind Your Personal Manners
As easy as it is to hide the unthinkable behaviors mentioned above behind a turned-off camera, many people find it easy to forget personal manners when they’re not meeting in person. They might feel empowered to say anything that comes to mind because they won’t get as much pushback on a call as they would in-person.
That doesn’t mean rudeness — often disguised as “being frank” or “totally honest” — is OK in virtual meetings.
“As we usher in a more digitalized world globally, we believe we need to understand and define the behaviors within a virtual space that convey politeness, respect and kindness towards others,” says Joseph Toma, CEO of Jugo. “{There’s} confusion and lack of knowledge that permeates the virtual world, defining new and appropriate standards for virtual interaction within hybrid and remote workplaces.”
Remind Zoom participants that they’re held to your normal collegial standards. Anything outside of that could be considered harassment.
5. Stay Focused
Regardless of the subject, speaker or content, you want to stay engaged in Zoom meetings. For one, you might miss “the important thing.” For another reason, you might be able to steer it straight if it’s off track or bring the meeting to an end if it’s truly useless.
So, avoid getting involved in side conversations, unnecessary movements or multitasking. They’re rude to the speakers and essentially detract from the meeting.
“It’s definitely true that business practices and norms change over time – which is a good thing. But it’s also true that how we conduct ourselves and treat others in a professional context will always be important, whether the foundation of those relationships is virtual or in person,” says Jefferson Frank Chairman and CEO James Lloyd-Townshend.
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